The Board granted service connection for polysubstance abuse / dependence (alcohol and cannabis) as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD, effective July 29, 2011. The appeal was also dismissed for TBI, headaches, and an acquired psychiatric disorder.
The deciding factor: The decision was based on medical evidence showing that the Veteran's polysubstance abuse / dependence (alcohol and cannabis) resulted from his service-connected PTSD.
- Claimed conditions
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Headaches, Acquired Psychiatric Disorder, to include Depression and PTSD, Polysubstance Abuse / Dependence (Alcohol and Cannabis)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- January 3, 2024
- Citation
- 24000384
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board granted a rating of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI), as the Veteran's symptoms most nearly approximated occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various disabilities, including an acquired psychiatric disability, headaches, a back disability, heart disability, and residuals of a stroke, as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to the Veteran's active service or caused by his service-connected left ear disabilities.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeal in September 2025, stating that she is now 100% permanently and totally disabled effective April 29, 2025.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for a disability rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD with TBI and a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for headaches as secondary to PTSD with TBI due to a duty to assist error.
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